Reverse Health vs Weight Watchers: Which One Works Better?

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers are two popular apps for weight loss and wellness. Weight Watchers has been one of the longest-standing weight loss programs, while Reverse Health has successfully launched its brand with a focus on evidence-based women’s health and weight loss principles.

While visually similar, their approach are different, leaving everyone questioning — which is the right weight loss program for me?

In this article, we compare Reverse Health vs. Weight Watchers. We discuss how each works, the key differences, pricing, and the effectiveness of each program to help you determine which is best for you.

How Each Program Works

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers focus on the same outcome, however, their methods and process are very different. Below, we show you how work and how they help you lose weight.

Reverse Health’s Approach to Weight Loss

Reverse Health is a weight loss app, however, what sets it apart from other programs on the market is its focus on women’s health.

Created in 2021 by nutritionist Matt Jones and women’s health coach Monika Friedman, who wanted to help women over 40 achieve better health. Built on a foundation of evidence-based health, fitness, and wellness practices, they have strived to provide a weight loss platform that fosters community, convenience, and sustainability.

While many apps on the market simply strive for weight loss, Reverse Health goes beyond, using exercise, nutrition, and mindfulness practices to address women’s health challenges including:

• Perimenopause
• Menopause
• Post-menopause
• Osteoporosis
• Sarcopenia
• Chronic Illness
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Reverse Health follows an evidence-based weight loss approach, it focuses on a calorie deficit and the promotion of a nutrient-dense diet to help women over 40 lose weight and address health concerns.

Weight Watchers' Point System and Tracking

Weight Watchers has been in the business of helping people lose weight for decades. Founded in 1963 by Jean Nidetch in Queens, New York City, following her successful weight loss (20 lbs), she began hosting a weekly support group for others on their weight loss journey, complete with weigh-ins, rewards, and a sense of community.

The program has since grown into a global program offering online, mobile, and phone support to help others achieve their weight loss goals.

Weight Watchers utilizes its famous point system, where participants are allocated points based on age and weight, while foods are assigned points based on their nutritional content rather than focusing on calorie counting.

Whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, eggs, fish, and chicken breast are zero points. Foods such as avocado, brown rice, and hummus sit within that two to four-point range, while foods such as donuts and processed foods are allocated seven points or more.

This simplification has found great success, helping many streamline the weight loss process nutrition tracking process.

Key Differences Between Reverse Health and Weight Watchers

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers' approaches to weight loss are very different, however, they are subtle which can make it difficult to choose between the two. Below, we break down the key differences to help you choose.

Personalization and Coaching Support

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers offer personalization and coaching support. Before you begin, each platform will ask you a little about yourself and your goals to formulate a plan that works for you.

Here the programs provide resources based on your preferences, activity levels, and eating style.

Reverse Health offers expert coaching support, where members can request guidance and feedback regarding women’s health challenges, nutrition, and exercise.

Weight Watchers provides similar support, offering coaching, in-person at their branches or virtually through their app. This provides a sense of community support which was originally fostered by Jean Nidetch, which is not found within the nutrition and weight loss market.

Meal Plans and Nutritional Guidance

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers personalization is translated to meal plans and nutritional guidance.

Reverse Health meal plan and nutritional guidance go beyond your average calories-in, calories-out framework found in calorie deficit. The platforms focus on women’s health means each meal plan and recipe is created with the correct balance of complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats to address women’s health conditions. Alongside this, they offer plans for general health, gaining muscle, and maintaining a healthy weight, presenting options for all women over 40.

Weight Watchers, meal plans, and nutritional guidance are centered around traditional weight loss. As mentioned, foods follow a point system, which is based on calorie and nutrient density. Meals and recipes are allocated points based on the ingredients, simplifying tracking.

Tracking Methods: Macros vs. Points

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers both track nutrition, however, their method is another factor that sets them apart.

Reverse Health follows evidence-based methods, focusing on calorie and macronutrients of foods and meals. The platform's streamlined approach displays the nutritional information about each meal clearly which is excellent for beginners. This educates members on the nutritional value of foods and meals, providing them with the skills to understand nutritional breakdowns even in the absence of the app.

Meanwhile, Weight Watchers uses their famous points system, which has green, blue, and purple color-coding categories. Green is allocated zero points, while purple contains the most points. This system is incredible for individuals who want to track calories, but don’t want to get bogged down with nutritional details.

However, the issue with this system is that once members leave the service, they won’t have an understanding of nutrition, which may lead to poor nutrition choices and possible weight gain.

Lifestyle Flexibility and Long-Term Sustainability

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers are designed to set their users up for success, using their flexible meal plans and tracking systems. However, each nutrition and weight loss method can have different effects that can alter sustainability.

Reverse Health’s streamlined, evidence-based method provision of crucial nutrition data educates users on key components of nutrition, without getting them boggy down in the finer details. Not only does this educate and prepare on nutritional values, but it also reduces the tedious nature that comes with detailed calorie counting.

Furthermore, teaching their users how to read and identify nutritional labels provides them with the skills to adjust meals and nutrient density on the fly, improving flexibility.

Meanwhile, Weight Watchers’ point systems offer flexibility by providing a comprehensive list of their different foods and meals. However, members may rely too heavily on the point system and in-person meetings, and their absence may affect long-term sustainability.

Pricing and Membership Options

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers offer premium services that come at a cost. Below we share the pricing and membership information to help you decide which is best for your budget.

Reverse Health Pricing Breakdown

Reverse Health costs $15.19 per month and does not offer a free trial. This equates to approximately $2.65 per week which is excellent value for money.

This price provides access to essential functions such as recipes, meal plans, fitness, and trackers. Reverse Health also offers resources at an additional cost ($17.99), including:

• Fast Food Diet eBook
• Detox Diet eBook
• Sweat Treats eBook
• Alcohol Guide eBook

Weight Watchers Membership Tiers

Weight Watchers offers several membership options with different features.

• Digital (Core) Membership: This plan provides access to the WeightWatchers app, personalized food plans, and tracking tools. The standard monthly fee is $23
• Workshops + Digital (Premium) Membership: Includes all Digital features plus unlimited in-person and virtual workshops with coaches and other members. The standard monthly fee is $45.

Which Program Is More Effective?

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers are great for weight loss. However, their efficacy is subjective. Below, we provide customer reviews, research, and expert opinions to show you the data and real-world evidence to highlight their effectiveness.

Reverse Health

Scientific Backing

Reverse Health is developed around scientific weight loss principles such as a calorie deficit and a nutrient-dense diet for weight loss. From here, meals and recipes are created around evidence-based nutrition, providing meals packed with nutrients to alleviate and address perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

Meanwhile, they have curated exercise programs, including exercise methods such as Pilates, yoga, wall Pilates, and mindfulness, which studies show can increase muscle mass, strength, function, and cognitive function.

Customer Reviews

"The program helped me get ready for my Mount Everest Base Camp trek goal, a dream come true. I lost 30lbs. I feel 15 years younger. I have more energy and more confidence. I am much happier.”

Anne, 59

"The fitness videos, especially Wall Pilates were a game changer for me, I love them. So easy and incredibly effective, I love seeing myself in the mirror now."

Mitzi, 55

"I've been doing this amazing program for a year now and I’ve lost 97lbs. I’m not stating this to brag but to let everyone know it is possible to make these life changes."

Lisa, 58

Weight Watchers

Scientific Backing

Weight Watchers' points system is based on nutritional values following the evidence-based model of calories while promoting nutrient-dense whole foods placing them in the zero-point category.

Research shows that people attending Weight Watchers in-person meetings lose 3–5.5% of their body weight. This highlights the power of prioritizing nutrient-dense foods, check-ins, and community support.

Customer Reviews

“Excellent app. Easy to use and motivational. My only suggestion is that I'd like to be able to change out one ingredient in a recipe and it automatically recalculates the point value for me. For example, the recipe calls for plain flour and I want to substitute gluten-free flour. I'd like to know the new points value without having to retype the whole recipe. But I really love the app!”

Green Acre

“I have lost so far 2 stone 5.5lbs. Love WW however it’s very expensive.”

Gill

“I joined WW about 5 months ago and really enjoyed the community feel of WW meetings. Then last month WW announced changes to meeting times, then changes to meeting locations. None of which seem to take into account the needs of members. None of the announced changes fit my lifestyle but I am stuck with the "long-term commitment" for another five months for a service that has been significantly changed from the initial offerings.”

Maresa

Which Program Is Right for You?

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers are both great for weight loss, however, their approaches make them suitable for different people.

Reverse Health’s focus on weight loss, exercise, and women’s health makes it a stand out for women over 40. By niching down and tailoring meals, plans, workouts, and resources they continue to grow their premiere women’s health app.

Reverse Health prides itself on educating and informing users with the latest research, nutrition, and exercises. Providing women over 40 with the best resources to lose weight, address menopause symptoms, and optimize health for greater longevity.

Meanwhile, Weight Watchers was a pioneer in the industry, showing the power a nutrient-dense, balanced diet could have on shaping our bodies. Combining this with local meet-ups illustrated how forming a community could boost accountability and great results.

Over the last 60+ years, the platform has evolved, accommodating different dietary requirements and nutrition styles, making it accessible to a broader audience.

If you are a woman over 40, Reverse Health is a must-have, offering a specialized, growing service for women’s health.

However, if you believe you could benefit from in-person meetings and the streamlined nutrition point systems, then Weight Watchers may be for you.

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Best Weight Loss Program

Reverse Health and Weight Watchers are excellent weight loss platforms that strive to help people lose weight and optimize their health.

However, their approaches alongside their target audience make them very different apps. If you are still undecided, here is a quick recap.

Choose Reverse Health if:

• You’re a woman over 40
• You need assistance addressing perimenopause, menopause, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, polycystic ovarian syndrome
• You want to educate yourself on calories and macronutrients
• You want an affordable service ($2.65 per week)
• Online coaching and community support

Select Weight Watchers if:

• You want a broader weight loss experience
• You would benefit from meetings, in-person accountability
• You would prefer the streamlined nutrition point system
• You have a larger budget ($23 per month)

If you are still undecided, we recommend trying both. This will give you a firsthand experience of each platform to make an informed choice of which is best for you.

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